Differential Service

Differential Service with Stanley Auto Group

Your vehicle functions because of several systems built into its design. All these systems are necessary to keep you on the road safely. One such system is your steering and control system. A crucial component of that system is your differential. If you live in or around  Brownwood, Eastland, or Gilmer, our expert technicians at Stanley Auto Group are ready to serve you with recommended maintenance service for your differential or any other preventative maintenance needed for your car, truck, minivan, or SUV.
When you turn right or left there is a change in the speed at which your wheels move. The interior-facing wheels turn slower than the exterior-facing wheels because they must travel farther to make the turn. Your differential is a set of gears that allow your wheels to spin at independent speeds and to be powered independently by your vehicle’s drivetrain. It is easy to see why it is important to have your differential serviced regularly.

Differential Service at Stanley Auto Group

Depending on your vehicle, you may have one or two differentials, based on the drivetrain of your vehicle. A rear-wheel drive vehicle will have a differential located at the rear axle because that is where your engine routes power for you to be able to drive. A front-wheel drive vehicle is likely built with a transaxle that will function as the differential and the transmission. A four-wheel drive vehicle or an all-wheel drive vehicle will have both a front and a rear differential because your engine directs power to all four wheels.
Differentials enable your vehicle’s wheels to have independent revolutions at different speeds to keep power going to the wheels constantly to avoid slippage when turning corners. Regular differential service is recommended, but how often depends on manufacturer recommendations. This information is found in your owner’s manual.

The Importance of Differential Oil

Your differentials have interlacing gears and are packed with several bearings to do their job. You can imagine that the heat buildup from friction when the differential seamlessly transfers power to your wheels to keep you moving can get pretty high. That’s why a component of your differential, differential oil, or differential fluid, lubricates the gears and the bearings to reduce heat from friction and to keep your wheels spinning seamlessly as power is shunted to them.

What Signs Should I Look for to Determine if I Need Differential Service?

Most commonly, if your differential oil is thin, or if you have a loose bearing, you will notice metal-on-metal grinding sounds and you will feel odd vibrations. Other symptoms may include:

• Banging or skipping when cornering.
• Continual clunking noises.
• Rumbling noises when the vehicle travels over 15 MPH.
• Whirring sounds at greater than 15 MPH.
• High-pitched screeching or howling noises when increasing speed.

If you notice any of these symptoms, or if you have never had differential service, contact our service department. Let Stanley Auto Group help keep you on the road with our highly trained technicians.